Roofing implement.



J. N. FARNHAM.

ROOFING IMPLEMENT.

APPLiGATION FILED 311.24, 1912 1,085,080. Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

V Z4 i l8 ATTORNEYS JEREMIAH N. FARNHAM, OF ROCKLAND, MAINE.

ROOFING IMPLEI/IENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH NELSON Fannrnmr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rockland, in the county of Knox and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Roofing Implement, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved device for facilitating the laying of sections of roofing where the same are in the form of strips or sheets of felt and the like; and the object thereof is to enable said sheets to be laid in less time and with less danger of injury when they are being adjusted into position to be cemented together, than has heretofore been the case in operations of this sort.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which the same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view, showing the manner in which my roofing implement is used; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; F ig. t is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the implement with its parts in collapsed or knock-down position; Fig. 5 is a side view of a modification; and Fig. 6 is an end view of a second modification.

In laying roofing felt and the like it has been customary heretofore to begin at the bottom and lay one strip, and after cementing the upper edge of this strip to unroll the next strip and lay it in position with reference to the first strip, so that its lower edge will come in contact with the cement to hold the adjacent edges of the two strips together. When the second and subsequent strips are unrolled and laid in this way they often have to be pulled and worked around so as to adjust them properly. This often results in filling the cement with dirt and dust or wiping it ofi entirely, and at the same time stretching the strip and making it baggy, in which condition it is very hard to lay smooth, especially in warm weather. The moving of the strips in this way often results further in cutting and otherwise damaging the same, owing to the presence of nails and the like that may project from the roof timbers or the surface of the roof itself that is to be covered. This is especially true, for eX- ample, where an old shingle roof is being Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24, 1912.

Patented Jan. 29, 191%. Serial No. 692,839.

removed and another roof covering put on. In such cases all kinds of litter, broken and bent nails and the like often accumulate on the outside of the roof, and much of the prejudice toward roofing in the form of strips of felt and the like has been caused by the damages done to the material while it was being laid under such conditions.

My way is to begin at the top and to lay the strips in succession from the top down; and my invention is to facilitate this method of putting on roofs of the kind in question.

On the drawings 1 represents a roof having sloping sides 2, which intersect in a ridge strip 3; and 4 represents a sheet or strip of roofing which is laid upon the sides 2 and secured firmly along its upper edge by the ridge strip 3, to prevent it from slipping.

The lower edge of this strip 4 is held out of contact wit-h the sides 2 to permit the next lower strip or sheet 5 to be put in place in proper position to enable it to be cemented to the upper sheet 1 by means of my improved roofing implement shown at 6. Any convenient number of these implements can be used, being spaced a certain distance from each other beneath the lower edge of the upper sheet 4, along the side of the roof, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1. Each of the devices or implements 6 comprises a strip of metal which includes a flat base 7 and is provided at one end with ears 8, serving as hinges for a purpose which will be described later. The implement is preferably made of sheet metal and is bent adjacent the middle of its length to form the base or bottom 7, and an inclined top 9, the upper end of this top terminating in a bent-- up edge 10, flanked by sharpened lugs 11; and 12 is a support having pointed lugs 13 at its lower end, and a central projection 14; between these lugs, curled over as shown in Fig. 4, to receive and hold a pivot pin 15. This pivot pin 15 is also engaged by lugs 8 on the base 7, which are bent around the pin the same as the lug 14; and this construction provides a hinged connection between the bottom 7 of the implement and the support 12, so that the entire device can be spread out as shown in Fig. 4, when desired. 16 represents the down-turned upper end of the support 12, which is also made of a fiat piece of sheet metal, this down-turned end being adapted to pass through a slot 17 in the inclined top 9, to hold the top at a fixed inc-lination to the base.

18 is a down-turned edge of the slot 17, which fits behind the support 12 and normally prevents the down-turned upper end 16 of the support 12 from slipping out of the slot 17.

In practice, each of the supporting implements will be placed under the lower edge of the strip l, so as to force the pointed lugs 11. into the lower face of the strip and have the up-turned ends 10 engage the edge of the strip; and the points 13 will be forced into the roof boards, to hold the implement, so that the entire strip will be prevented from slipping, and at the same time will be held up to keep its lower edge out of contact with the roof boards until the workmen are ready to cement the sheet t to the sheet next below it. As many of these implements will be used as required, being located at the necessary distances from each other. To lay the sheett, this sheet or strip is now placed so that its upper edge will be in contact with the supports 12, and after being adjusted and secured, the upper edge will be cemented and the implements 6 removed. The sheet 4: will now sink into contact with the sheet 5, and the contacting edges will be securely held together by the cement which has been put on for this purpose, and be ready for nailing, which operation will be finished before the next strip is laid. The next sheet will then be laid in its turn, the same plan being fol lowed, and the entire roof will be covered in this way. The distance from the slot 16 to the upturned end 10 of each of the roofing implements will of course be made sufficient to permit the upper edge of each of the lower sheets, as the same are laid, to be located beyond the lower edge of the sheet immediately above it, to provide the necessary extent of overlapping surface that is required to cement the sheets securely together.

The implements which I have above shown and described may of course be made in various shapes and of various kinds of material and of a size to suit the requirements met with in actual practice. I prefer to make them in the manner shown and described, so that they can be spread out flat and placed in the roofing rolls to be sold therewith, so many being wrapped up in each roll of roofing material.

By means of my improved roofing implement the operation of roofing can be started at the top, and each strip can be secured to the next strip below it before the subsequent strips are laid, thus enabling all work to be done below and off the finished part of the roof. The cement does not have to be applied until both strips are in proper position and fastened therein. The operation of roofing can be performed in less time and with less damage to the roof, and a much neater and better effect obtained. Furthermore, the cemented lap or seam between each two adjacent strips or sheets is always open for inspection by the overseer, who can see that everything is laid right before the cementing is finished.

I wish to have it understood that the strip at will be secured to the strip 5 after the upper edge of the strip 5 is cemented, and nailed down before the next lower strip is put on, each upper strip being secured to the next lower strip by cementing the upper edge of the lower strip and nailing the adjacent edge of the next upper strip in each case. Each strip of metal forming the bottom 7 and top 9 of the implement 6 will of course be suitably shaped at the outer end of the top 9 to provide the up-turned lug or edge 10 and the lugs 11, and this end and the lugs flanking it will be bent into position, so that to put the implement into use it will only be necessary to lift the top and swing the support 12 under it.

Fig. 5 shows a simpler form of my invention, consisting of a board of the proper size and shape, such as a shingle, shown at 19. This shingle has a wedge-shaped piece 20 hinged to its lower side to hold it in proper position; and 21 is an ordinary roofing nail through the overlapping end of the shingle, to prevent the lower edge of each of the strips or roofing from slipping. The length and stability of this form of roofing implement are such that no barbs corresponding to the points 13 are needed. The hinges are shown at 22, and the thickness of the wedge-shaped piece 20 is such as to enable the top 19 to rest firmly thereon and to enable the lower edge of the wedge-shaped piece 20 to rest firmly upon the roof so as to prevent the implement from wabbling.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the top shown at 19 is rigid with a wedgeshaped support shown at 20, being secured to the support by means of ordinary nails. This form has an ordinary roofing nail shown at 21, corresponding to the nail 21 in the form shown in Fig. 5, for the same pun pose. The form shown in Fig. 6 is the simplest form of my invention, and this form is not collapsible.

I wish to have it understood that the above embodiment of my invention is illustrativc only, and that I do not care to be limited to the necessary details of construction thereof, except in s0 far as indicated in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An implement for laying sheets of roofing material, comprising a wedge-shaped body adapted to be inserted under the free edge of a. roofing sheet, said body having a flat base and an inclined top, the top extending beyond the base and provided with means for engaging the sheet resting upon the top to hold the same thereon.

2. A roofing implement comprising a piece of metal bent to form a base or bottom and an inclined top connected thereto, a support pivotally connected to the free end of the bottom and having a pair of points projecting from its lower ends, the upper end of said support being bent over and the top having a slot therein with a down-turned rear edge to receive said bent-over end, the down-turned edge of the said slot prevent ing the displacement of said support from the top, the top having a portion projecting beyond said slot terminating in an up-turned edge, and a pair of projections spaced from said tip-turned edge and located 011 either side of the same, projecting from the upper face of said top, the points on the support serving to engage the roof, and the upturned edge and the lugs flanking the same on the top serving to engage the cover for said roof and hold the same in position.

3. An implement for laying sheets of roofing material, comprising an inclined member adapted to be inserted under the free edge of a roofing sheet, and a support for the inclined member, said inclined member projecting beyond the support the distance the sheets are to be lapped and provided with means for engaging the sheet resting thereon.

l. An implement for laying sheets of roofing material, comprising a wedge-shaped body adapted to be inserted under the free edge of a roofing sheet, said body consisting of a fiat base, an inclined top extending from one end of thebase and projecting beyond the other end of the said base the distance the sheets are to be lapped, the projecting end of the top being provided with means for engaging the sheet resting thereon, and a support hinged to the end of the base and detachably engaging the inclined top.

5. An implement for laying sheets of roofing material, comprising a wedge-shaped body adapted to be inserted under the free edge of a roofing sheet, said body consisting of a fiat base, an inclined top extending from one end of the base and projecting beyond the other end of said base the distance the sheets are to be lapped, the projecting portion of the top having a spur adj acent its end, and a support hinged to the base and detachably engaging the top, said support having a spur at its hinged end.

6. An implement for laying sheets of roofing material, comprising a wedge-shaped body adapted to extend under a sheet of roofing material, said body consisting of a fiat base, an inclined top extending from one end of the base and having an opening therein opposite the end of the base, and a flange at its end and a spur adjacent said flange, and a support hinged to the end of the base and having its upper end engaging the opening of the top, said support having a spur at its hinged end.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEREMIAH N. FARNHAM.

Witnesses:

KATHARINE M. CREAMER, FLORENCE G. HALEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

